If your dog has been staring at you, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my dog stare at me? Likely reasons why your dog stares at you are that it is warning you to leave it alone, it is waiting for you to give it something, it is waiting to see if you leave, or that it is actually showing affection.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your dog stares at you and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Why does my dog stare at me?
Below are likely reasons why your dog stares at you and what would make each of them more likely.
Your dog is being aggressive
Staring is often an act of aggression in the animal world, and it might be the case that your dog stares at you because it is being aggressive. This would be more likely if your dog also does things such as snarl, growl and have a stiff body. It would also be more likely if it does it more in situations such as when you are trying to get it to move from a certain spot or to take something away from it.
Affection
Dogs can also stare at their owners as a way of bonding since a dog’s levels of oxytocin when you stare into its eyes. It would be more likely that your dog is doing it because it is showing you affection if it does it in situations such as when it is sitting with you and it is showing positive body language such as having its tongue out or wagging its tail.
Your dog is waiting for something
Another possible cause is that your dog is waiting to get something from you. This would be more likely if it tends to stare at you and follow you around before you have given it things such as food or exercise.
It makes your dog feel safer
It might also be the case that your dog stares at you because seeing you nearby makes it feel safer. This could also be a sign that it has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if your dog tends to stare at you more at around the same time you would normally leave home or go to bed and if it starts to become anxious when you are leaving.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your dog has been staring at you.
If your dog has always stared at you
If your dog did not always stare at you, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in the time you feed or exercise it or that it started becoming more comfortable around you.
The timing of when your dog stares at you
If there is a certain time your dog does it, it would also help to consider the timing. For example, if your dog tends to stare at you more before it has gotten food or exercise, it would be more likely that it is waiting to get food or exercise from you. Whereas, if it does it before you go to bed, the cause would be more likely to be that it is waiting to see when you are going to go to bed perhaps due to separation anxiety.
What to do about my dog staring at me?
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Let it do it
If your dog does not seem to be doing it due to it being aggressive and it is actually doing it due to affection or waiting to see what you are going to do, the easiest option would be to simply allow your dog to continue doing it.
Avoid staring at it for too long yourself
As mentioned above, staring can often be considered as an act as aggression by dogs. It would help to avoid staring at your dog for too long yourself since it will often result in the dog feeling threatened.
Give it a routine to get used to
If your dog seems to be staring at you because it is waiting to see when you are going to do something, it could help to try to get your dog used to a daily routine. By doing things such as feeding and exercising it at a regular time daily, it should help to get your dog used to getting what it wants at a certain time and make it less likely to stare at you during the rest of the day.
Get help
If your dog seems to be doing it because it is being aggressive, it would help to limit reasons why it might be being aggressive by trying not to intimidate it with your own body language and by using positive reinforcement training instead of fear based methods to get it to behave a certain way. It would also likely help to get help from a professional dog trainer, in your area, so that you can see how to get it to be well behaved safely.
Why does my dog stare at me when I eat?
If your dog stares at you while you are eating, the most likely cause is that your dog wants some of your food. It is also likely that your dog is waiting to see if you leave any left overs.
Why does my dog stare at me and bark?
If your dog also snarls and has aggressive looking body language, it would be likely that your dog stares at you and barks because it is being aggressive or it feels intimidated. Whereas, if it does not show aggressive body language and it does it more before it has been fed or exercised, it would be more likely that your dog is trying to remind you to feed or exercise it.
Why does my dog stare at me and growl?
The reason why your dog stares at you and growls is likely to be that it is being aggressive or feeling threatened which would be more likely if it also snarls and has a stiff posture. Whereas, if it does things such as wag its tail and turn around as soon as you get up, it would be more likely that your dog is trying to get you to give it something.
Why does my dog stare at me and whine?
If your dog stares at you and whines, it could be due to things such as hunger, boredom or separation anxiety. It would help to consider the timing of when your dog does it and the body language it shows. It might also be the case that it does it due to intimidation if it does it when you are staring at it yourself.
Why does my dog stare at me when I sleep?
If your dog stares at you when you sleep, the cause is likely to be that it is waiting to see when you wake up so that it can get things such as food or exercise. It might also be the case that it is being protective.
Why does my dog stare at me before he goes to sleep?
The reason why your dog stares at you before going to sleep is likely to be that it wants to make sure that you don’t leave, possibly due to separation anxiety.
Why does my dog stare at me constantly?
If your dog has been staring at you constantly, it would be more likely to be that your dog has some separation anxiety and that it watches you to see when you are going to give it things that it wants.
Why does my dog stand and stare?
If your dog stands and stares at you, the cause could be that it is being aggressive or that it is waiting to get something from you. It would help to consider the timing of when your dog does it and the body language it shows.